


Ornaments

by SilverServerError



Series: Elf Practice [10]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Candlenights, M/M, No Sex, established “””relationship”””, slowly orbiting towards something real
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 12:02:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13099680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverServerError/pseuds/SilverServerError
Summary: “Sometimes it’s not a work thing, Taako. Sometimes it’s a Brad thing.”Taako almost has a feeling. It’s a Candlenights miracle.





	Ornaments

“Oh.”

Taako’s face fell a little as he looked down into Brad’s hands, the warm playfulness dissipating. Suddenly the oldies playing in the background seemed somehow foreboding. Taako smiled again, but it was tight this time. His ears drooped, giving away his discomfort.

“I thought...” Brad hesitated, “I mean, we talked about it.”

“I thought you were kidding. I thought you were just going to eat me out or something.”

“Oh.” Brad stared down into his hands, at the little paper-wrapped box tied with a shiny bow. “I mean, I could do that, too,” he frowned, like an awkward after thought.

It was one of the least sexy offers Taako had ever gotten, and there were some real winners to choose from.

He leaned forward, then hesitated just short of caressing Brad’s fingers. “Hatchimatchi.”

Brad pulled away slightly in reflex. “Taako, I’m sorry. I think this may have been a slight cultural misunderstanding. If you’d be more comfortable, we can just forget this happened. I’d hate for you to feel pressured to-“

“No, no,” Taako assured, though his own manner was hardly convincing. “Always happy to get a gift from a fan.”

“Taako,” Brad sighed, beginning to turn away.

But a delicate touch reached for his elbow, and he allowed the feather-light warmth to guide him back.

Taako seemed meek as he tried to apologize, a look that Brad found him falling into distressingly easily. “Hey, sorry man. You know I don’t mean it like that. I just... I get nervous and shit.”

Brad hesitated, then placed a palm on Taako’s shoulder, rubbing softly up and down when the elf leaned into the touch. “You do sometimes struggle expressing vulnerability, manifesting in ways that can be insensitive to those that care about you.”

Taako’s eyes narrowed a touch, “You’re doing the work thing again, stud.”

“Sometimes it’s not a work thing, Taako. Sometimes it’s a Brad thing.”

“Gross,” Taako frowned softly, glancing away but every line of his posture was longing. Shy. Hesitant. But longing.

Brad didn’t relish the sudden tension either.

“Why don’t we forget about this?” Brad offered, pulling Taako to his chest and resting his chin on the crown of his head. Slowly, Taako relaxed against him.

“I didn’t get you anything.”

“That’s okay.”

A few moments passed, broad hands up and down Taako’s back. Skinny fingers playing with the button just above Brad’s stomach. “I mean I saved the world like, ten times,” Taako spoke up. “So I guess really, you probably owe me still. Happy Candlenights forever basically.”

Brad laughed softly, and kissed his hair. “Basically.”

“Okay,” Taako decided, pushing away from his strong chest to look up at him. “Lay it on me.”

Brad smiled nervously, but after a moment of internal deliberation passed over the small box.

Taako took it, turning it over a few times to appreciate the wrapping paper. (Shiny. Purple. Loud. Perfect.) Then with an impish look and perky ears, he started to open it.

Brad held his breath, heart in his throat again, though this time from excitement.

“Brad,” Taako gasped, blushing as he pulled out the set of earrings, tiny gold chains trailing between and flowing across the palm of his hand. “You pervert!”

Brad knew this look. Taako was _delighted_.

As was he.

Brad bit his lip to keep from grinning like an idiot.

“You should have told me it was a horny gift!” Taako laid the delicate jewelry carefully in Brad’s palm. “That’s like, way easier to swallow.”

Brad just whined softly, knowing at some point he should really try to dig deeper re Taako’s self worth, but for the moment, more pressing was the sudden rush of blood as the elf began to take out his piercings along the edge of a delicate ear. He set them one by one in a colorful little pile on the end table.

“Help me sort them out?” Taako asked, turning his head and flicking an ear down for him.

Brad just stared, jaw slightly slack. “You want... me...?”

Taako lifted a curious brow, ears splaying slightly as the smile grew across his features. “Oh shit, did we just find another yum?”

“It’s... one with which I am familiar. I just wasn’t expecting to be um... _involved_.”

Taako pinned him down with a triumphant look in his eye, taking his time and teasing as he worked on clearing the second ear.  
“You wanna talk about it, babe?” Brad just cursed under his breath. “Ah don’t be like that,” Taako lilted, ears flicking with an over exaggerated flutter as he stretched out, free from the weight. “Communication is key, Bradson.”

“It is...” Brad bravely tried to articulate, reaching out to run a broad, calused thumb along the underside of his ear. Taako gasped with a small shiver. They weren’t inherently erogenous per say, but they were always sensitive, and given this context... it was certainly doing it for him. “Something about... About the piercing. Stabbing you. Through you. There’s something primal about it.”

Taako’s eyes went wide, and he swallowed thickly. “I thought ‘primal’ was on the no-go word list.”

“I’m an orc,” Brad said softly, missing the attempted tease in favor of his continued fascination. “I’m allowed.”

“Ah,” Taako smiled, legs spreading and hips pressing down pointedly across a muscled thigh. “Hey Brad?”

He moved the new jewelry back to Brad’s hand. Then with a small laugh, put a blocking hand up, halting the obvious trajectory of Brad’s lips to his ear.

“Brad? Earth to Brad?”

He forced himself to concentrate. “Sorry, what?”

“I just wanted to ask, if I pretend it hurts when you put them in, are you going to lose your shit?”

Brad made a long, loud noise of distressed arousal.

Taako licked his lips subconsciously. “Nice,” he said a little weakly.

 

 

 


End file.
